Self-leveling table.



' 0. A. SMITH.

SELF LEVELING TABLE.

APPLIGATION FILED JUNE 2,1913.

1,081,339. Patented Dec. 16,1913.

FIG. 2

[Hllllilhuw' llllHlllllll WITNESSES INVENTOR Ma -6111 6170 W CHARLES; A.SMITH, 01 SCALE LEVEL. PENNSYLVANIA.

SELF-LEVELING TABLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

.Patmlted Dec. 16. 191 3.

Application filed June 2, 1913. Serial No. 771,141.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, (humans A. SMI'LH, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Scalp Level, in the county of (ambria and State ofPeimsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSelf-Leveling Tables, of which the following is a specification,reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to tables especially designed for ocean and rivercrafts, Pullman cars and vehicles.

The primary object of my invention is to provide simple and eflectivemeans in connection with a table for holding the top thereof in ahorizontal position and thereby prevent articles from being upset andliquid from being spilled upon the table top when the supports of thetable assume a position at an inclination to the table top.

Another object of this invention is to provide a table having a supportand table top with a ball and socket connection between said support andsaid table top that permits of the table top being maintained in ahorizontal position relatively to the support.

A further object of this invention is to provide a counter-balancedtable consisting of comparatively few parts that are inexpensive tomanufacture, easy to assemble, durable and neat in appearance.

I attain the above objects by a mechanical. construction that will behereinafter specifically described and then claimed.

Reference will now be had to the drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a sideelevation of a table in accordance with this invention, Fig. 2 is anenlarged vertical sectional View of the ball and socket connection ofthe table, and Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the lineIIIIII of Fig. 2.

A table in accordance with this invention comprises a cylindricalsupport 1 provided with a plurality of bowed legs 2 that have the lowerends thereof secured to a floor or other support, as at 3. The support 1is provided with a cylindrical recess 4; having the walls thereof screwthreaded, as at 5.

The bottom of the recess terminates in a concave socket 6 having acentral. opening 7 and the walls of said opening are convex, as at 8.

Movable in the socket 6 is a ball. or spherical body 9 provided with apendulum 10 having a weight 11 at the lower end thereof. The pendulum 10extends through the opening 7 and is capable of swinging therein. Thependulum 10, adjacent to the opening 7 has an oil cup 12 that permits ofthe lubricating oil used in connection with the ball and socket frominjuring the floor or surface upon which the table is placed. The ballis retained in the socket 6 by a collar or nut 13 screwed into therecess 4, said collar or nut having diametrically opposed recesses orsockets 14 to accommodate a spanner wrench or other instrument employedfor screwing the collar or nut into the recess. The top of the ball 9 isprovided with a post 15 having a circular plate 16, and secured to saidplate by screws 17 or other fastening means is a table top 18. The post15 longitudinally alines with the pendulum l0 and the area of the recess1 and the opening 7 is such that the support 1 can be tilted while thependulum 10 maintains the table top 18 in a horizontal position.

The ball and socket can be easily lubricated to insure an easy andnoiseless movement of the movable elements of the table relatively tothose held stationary.

One embodiment of the invention has been illustrated, but it is to beunderstood that the structural elements are susceptible to suchvariations and modifications as fall within the scope of the appendedclaim.

What I claim is A selfleveling table comprising a cylindrical memberformed with a cylindrical recess having the wall thereof threaded, saidmember further provided with a concave socket opening into said recessand said member further having an opening centrally of its bottomcommunicating with said socket, a spherical body mounted in said socketand. projecting into said recess, said body engaging the wall of saidsocket cured to said plate, and a plurality of legs for supporting saidmember.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of twoWitnesses.

CHARLES A. SMITH.

Witnesses CARL FRIEDRICH. LINDSTROM, JOHN Lmns'rnom.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G."

